I’m enjoying the cooking class short clips. What are you doing them for?

I’m putting together a website and YouTube channel

I’ve been doing in person cooking classes for a few years now and I’m
kind of done with that format. So I’m
trying to create something that’s approachable and simple for nonfoodies

@PeasOnMoss

Why were you teaching, and why are you done with the in person format?

I felt like I was teaching the same group of foodies over and over and
over. I like to reach people outside of
the community

And for why I was teaching and I just enjoy sharing my passion for
cooking with people

@PeasOnMoss

Outside the foodie community?

Yeah

@PeasOnMoss

How do they respond differently?

I work with a lot of tech people and I’ve noticed that this form is
very approachable for them

@PeasOnMoss

The videos are approachable?

How do you film them?

I MacGyver a down camera in my kitchen is just a Canon S1 10 power shot

@PeasOnMoss

No go pro, bro?

Hah no way

All I’m doing is clicking record when I start cooking at home. Then
while I’m eating dinner or lunch I’m breaking them down into their components

No I got the camera refurbished on Amazon for like 100 bucks

@PeasOnMoss

Oh nice. Shoestring approach. Smart!

This is really the very very beginning of all this. I’m working with a
few people who are helping me improve the quality. And I’m trading someone
cooking classes so they can make me a website

Did you just randomly decide to start videoing your prep in first
person, or did you try other views or styles too?

I’ve been messing around with different ideas for the past few months.
It’s been my intention to do something like this for about a year now and I
finally hit on visual style that resonated with people

If you look back I’ve got a video of me slicing cherry tomatoes with my
down camera. I got a pretty good response off of that.

But yeah I am trying to get the videos done by the end of this month.
Once I have that little launch the website

@PeasOnMoss

What are you hoping to get from the website and the videos?

Teach more classes?

Is this your full time work?

I wish

Right now I’m hustling piece mealing things together to give me free
time to do this

You do want this to be your full time work?

More than anything I want to create a resource for people to learn to
cook. If people respond to it maybe I could find a way to monetize it. A few of my friends are helping me develop a
plan for that. Right now I’m focused on
the content.

I mean I haven’t even properly named this thing yet

@PeasOnMoss

you totally should monetize!

I’m brainstorming some ideas of ways to create some online business
opportunities – maybe there’s something we can do together? I’m more of a
writer than anything

Yeah first I’m going to get my YouTube channel together so I could at
least get paid for clicks. And then I’m going to link all of the cooking
equipment that I use to Amazon

@PeasOnMoss

brilliant

It’s all about clicks. A couple of the guys in my office do social
media consulting. And once you start getting a ton of clicks people come to you
with ideas

make Amazon or that brand pay for that link… eventually

First thing that’s going on there is the cutting board

@PeasOnMoss

You could call your website “on the cutting board”

Honestly my other job has my finances covered. If this thing pays for
itself or makes me a little bit of money that would be wonderful.

I really just want to put out quality content

it’s all about the passive income

@PeasOnMoss

what’s your fulltime job?

I would love me some passive income

I’m a recruiter for Lyft.
Basically I just interview people all day. And in between that I’m
editing video. Then I go home at night and shoot more video. Rinse and repeat

@PeasOnMoss

So working for Lyft fulltime, how did you start teaching cooking
classes?

That’s actually a funny story. In culinary school I applied for a job
at a cooking store “Cooks World” in Seattle. It was just for the
front counter position. She saw that I had sausage experience and asked me if
I’d be interested in teaching a class

And kind of just went from there.

From Ben’s Facebook page

@PeasOnMoss

I vaguely remember that. When did you graduate? For some reason I
thought you were doing pastry

Funny thing I was in the pastry program and interning at the Swinery at
the same time

@PeasOnMoss

yeah, i was pretty sure you were almost done when I started

why did you go to Lyft?

I did a mix of movie catering and seasonal catering for a while and
just got burned out. Started to realize I was becoming the old man in the
kitchen

My real passion was teaching cooking but I was struggling to make that
full-time

@PeasOnMoss

Mmmm yeah about that

movie catering sounds sexy

It was the craziest job I have ever had.

@PeasOnMoss

crazier than normal crazy catering?

It was sort of like being on a boat out in the sea. You’d work 12 to 15
hour shift 6 days a week

You’d be so tired that on your day off you just wouldn’t get out of bed

@PeasOnMoss

wow!

how did you get a catering for a movie gig?

your thing or did you get hired by a caterer?

One of my friends was the pastry chef on a gig in New Orleans and she
got pregnant and asked me to take over

@PeasOnMoss

wow

and then you started doing more?

is that what took you to TX?

I lived here years ago. Austin’s a boom town. I thought to be a good place to come in make
some money and establish myself

It’s also got a lot of creative people

@PeasOnMoss

oh that makes sense.

i’ve heard it’s unique compared to the rest of the state

i assume you’ve attended SXSW

I go to all the free concerts and events but I’ve never actually paid
to go to the real thing

I much prefer the post parties

yeah, i’m old for paid concerts unless i get VIP, which is never

Yeah the Lyft job has been good to me.
I can finally buy all the toys that I craved while I was in the industry

About The Author

A nutrition scientist turned research chef, extroverted foodie, and amateur rock climber and runner (when there's time), Kimberly brings an insider's experiences of food manufacturing and professional cooking. Whether you're a food lover and eater wondering how packaged gets from idea to your pantry or a professional curious about product development, this is a website written for you.